A let office building
- Full-height glazing and entrance frontages
- Solar control or laminated glass
- Installation sometimes only possible with a crane
- Deal with the cover expressly in the lease
Letting · common glass · breakage
Glass insurance for offices, flats and homes that are let
With let property, glass is a small item that causes a great deal of argument. The question is rarely whether the pane is covered, but who insures it: you as landlord, the tenant or the VvE.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Glasverzekering voor kantoren, flats en woonhuizen in de verhuur.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Glass insurance pays for the breakage of glazing that serves to admit light: windows, doors, frontages, roof lights and skylights. The cause is in principle irrelevant. For let offices, flats and houses this is usually cover in the name of the owner, sometimes as a section on the buildings insurance and sometimes as a separate policy for the whole portfolio.
Who is obliged to insure follows from the tenancy agreement. For residential property the glass usually sits with the landlord. For commercial property it is regularly placed with the tenant by contract, together with minor maintenance. If the contract says nothing about it, the position falls back on the statutory division of maintenance obligations and a dispute almost always arises after a breakage. Set it down in writing for each property.
If the building is divided into flats, the glass in the common facade belongs on the owners' association's policy, while internal glazing behind the front door is private. Exactly what counts as common is set out in the deed of division and the regulations (Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code). See also the general explanation of glass insurance.
What is usual for each type of property?
The type of property determines who insures, which glass is involved and how large the claim is.
A block of flats
A division between common glass and glass in the private part.
- Facade, stairwell and access gallery through the VvE
- Internal doors and partitions private
- Balcony glazing differs from one set of regulations to another
- Check the deed and the policy side by side
A home that is let
Usually cover taken out by the landlord, with a limited glass area.
- Windows, front door and skylight
- Including a conservatory or extension
- Leaded glass only covered separately
- Watch out for letting by the room
What is covered
| Situation | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| A window in a let house is smashed | Yes | Yes |
| The entrance frontage of an office building is broken | Yes | Yes |
| Emergency boarding until the new pane is fitted | Yes | Yes |
| Lettering or solar film on the broken pane | No | Yes |
| Glass in a building that stands empty for a long period | No | Provided that |
| Loss of rent while the frontage is boarded up | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, maximum amounts per pane and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) you receive before taking out the cover.
What to look out for
Four points that, with let property, make the difference between a smooth settlement and a dispute.
Put in the lease who insures the glass
This is the most important step and it costs nothing. Record for each property whether the landlord or the tenant arranges the glass cover, and where a tenant insures it themselves, ask periodically for evidence. Without that agreement it is often the owner who pays after a breakage, and where a tenant leaves or becomes insolvent the bill lands with you in any event. Check this point at every change of tenant, because the use of the space changes at the same time.
Large panes are not a small claim
A full-height frontage, laminated or toughened safety glass and glazing that can only be fitted with a cherry picker or crane cost many times as much to replace as an ordinary pane. Some policies apply a maximum per pane or a separate clause for glass above a certain area. Take stock for each property of how much special glass there is and have it recorded on the policy, rather than working from a standard amount.
What is not included
The cover does not include, among other things: breakage during building work, installation or transport; glass in buildings that have stood empty for longer than the period stated in the policy or that are squatted; scratches and edge damage without breakage; consequential loss such as lost rent and the tenant's loss of turnover; and intent or wilful recklessness of the insured under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Also leaded glass, glass in furniture, mirrors in private parts and glass in free-standing structures are not covered without a separate agreement, or only on the basis of flat glass value.
Report vacancy, conversion work and letting by the room
These three situations increase the chance of breakage and are almost always dealt with separately in the policy conditions. They count as a change in risk. If you do not report them, the insurer can fall back on the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and reduce or refuse the payout under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code. Report a breakage immediately as well and limit the loss with emergency boarding; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to report it in good time.
What does your premium depend on?
- Glass area per property: the number, size and height of the panes
- Type of object: office, flat or house
- Type of glass: insulating, safety or special glass
- Location: street level and nightlife areas mean more breakage
- Type of letting: letting by the room and changing tenants weigh more heavily
- Vacancy and claims history: empty properties and previous breakages raise the premium
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
As a landlord, do I have to insure the glass?
There is no statutory obligation, but it is sensible. For residential property the glass cover usually sits with the landlord. For commercial property it is often placed with the tenant by contract. Deal with this expressly in the lease and check that the tenant actually holds the policy. Otherwise you end up bearing the cost after all.
Who pays for the glass in a block of flats?
The glass in the common facade and the stairwell normally falls under the owners' association's insurance. Internal glazing behind the front door is for the owner or, where the flat is let, a matter between you and your tenant. The deed of division and the regulations determine where the line falls, and that differs from one complex to another.
Is glass already covered on my buildings insurance?
Sometimes, as a separate section. Note the difference: buildings insurance often covers glass damage only as a consequence of a covered peril such as fire or storm, whereas a true glass section pays for breakage whatever the cause. For portfolios with a lot of glass, separate glass cover is usually clearer and wider.
What if the property stands empty between two tenants?
Report it. Most policies have a period after which glass cover lapses or is restricted during vacancy. Insurers then impose conditions such as periodic inspection and boarding up vulnerable frontages. A short period between two tenants is usually no problem, but prolonged vacancy without notification is.
Does the insurer also pay the loss of rent?
No. Glass cover pays for the pane, the fitting and usually emergency boarding. Rent lost while the space is unusable falls outside it. If you want to cover that, it belongs with loss of rent cover on the buildings insurance. Your tenant's loss of turnover is a matter for their own business interruption insurance.
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How much glass is there in your portfolio?
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Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
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About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.